Does stuffing your coat back into the closet every day make you cringe? This standing rack has been my savior for storing clothes and shoes I wear all the time. It also doubles as a chic piece of decor, meaning you'll want to keep it tidier than a closet. To make it, I used a vintage ladder, but you can buy a new one for $69.99 at an Ace Hardware store. Give it your own style by painting it or covering the shelves with a fun wallpaper, leather, even metal.

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Step 1: GET PAINTING. Disassemble the ladder and give it a coat of white paint; also paint a 4-foot wooden rod (get one cut to size for you at Home Depot). Two wood planks (one about 41/2 feet, one 43/4 feet; about $8 each from Home Depot) will serve as your shelves. I simply spray-painted these—it literally took minutes.

Step 1

David Tsay

Step 2: ASSEMBLE IT. Using a drill and screws, attach each plank to the bottom two sets of rungs. Be sure to set the lowest shelf forward in order to make room for tall boots. At the top of the ladder, center two pipe brackets on each top rung and attach with screws. Slide the top rod through them and you're done.

Step 2

David Tsay

Emily Henderson is a stylist, decorator, HGTV Design Star, and author of the new book Styled.